Konische parasolknop of parapluknop van geribd bruin hout dat is versierd met zwarte noppen en een knop van zwart marmer c. 1920

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum, we're standing before a rather unusual object: a conical parasol knob or umbrella knob. It's crafted from ribbed brown wood, punctuated by black studs, and topped with a black marble knob. The piece dates back to around 1920, and is attributed to Gustav Schnitzler. Editor: It gives me a strange sense of elegance married with… something almost primal. The fluted wood is tactile, and the contrast with the smooth marble is quite striking. There’s a weightiness to it, I think, both visually and probably physically. Curator: Exactly. Let’s consider the material choices. The wood, most likely locally sourced, speaks to functionality. The vertical ribs carved into its surface provide not just visual texture, but likely also a better grip. Then you have those almost industrial looking dark studs puncturing the surface that really make it very modern in look, as does the use of the more luxurious marble which grounds and finishes off the handle in weight and appearance. The decision to use marble suggests the item's intended market was affluent. It signals value through the deliberate addition of this natural material, and its implied connection to the world's quarries that provided it. Editor: Absolutely, it is a blend of necessity and desire. And those studs... they immediately made me think of ancient staffs of power, you know? Almost totemic. This piece reminds me of a scaled-down sculpture or even a small temple column. The umbrella as a personal statement, an assertion of social status through symbolic form. One is made to wonder what status symbols this person enjoyed and displayed in addition to this umbrella handle? Curator: Yes, or, considered more pragmatically: a sturdy handle for the rough and tumbles that are sometimes afforded to a daily outdoor activity. I am also led to contemplate the skill of the craftsman. The precision in the wood carving, the setting of the studs, and the shaping of the marble all point to skilled labour. It definitely makes one consider not only the final object, but all that labour and industrial processing that enabled its arrival. Editor: That's such a brilliant point; this decorative-art sculpture transforms into a totem of process. Its aesthetic blends craft, culture, utility and a good umbrella will ensure the user gets home safe! Curator: Precisely, and for me, that confluence of industry, use and material transformation remains its primary resonance.